We have been exploring hills in Barnhartvale this winter, even in the snow. Lower areas can sometimes be a bit icy, but we either walk in the snow at the side or we put on our microspikes/yaks. Once we start to climb, we just stomp through the snow, and it has been only mid-calf depth on exposed slopes but deeper … Continue reading…
The two arms of Murtle Lake wind around Central Mountain (see the map in the previous post). From a number of viewpoints, hikers can look down the west arm or the north arm of the lake. To the east is the Wavy Range, with triangular peaks and long rocky ridges. To the north is an endless line of snow and … Continue reading…
Once you have launched your canoe or kayak, you will pass through a lagoon for 1.5 km. At this point, you will emerge into Murtle Lake. There are two campsites (Murtle Lagoon) here if paddlers get a late start. The large east bay makes good paddling if the winds are calm, but if not, you may have to stay inside … Continue reading…
These hills to the west of Middle Mountain on the west edge of Barnhartvale are unnamed (until now), but they are steep climbs to great viewpoints. All three hills are approached from Barnhartvale. Take Todd Road and turn onto McLeod (Uplands) Road. Park at the far west point of the loop. You will see a parking area, a gate, and … Continue reading…
Bring your GPS with you when you go for a hike/bike/paddle and it can record how far you have traveled, how much actvity time you had, your average speed or much more. The Trip Computer (or whatever it is called in each type of GPS) can record any of the following that you choose: Field Description Accuracy of GPS Your … Continue reading…
The hills bounded on 3 sides by Barnhartvale Road, the Campbell Range -Scuitto Road, and the Campbell Creek Road have a well-established trail system designed for non-motorized use. The Barnhartvale Horse and Hiker Trail Preservation Society has received funding and through its volunteer efforts has done a nice job on a good network of trails in grassland-sagebrush and forested terrain. … Continue reading…
A trail network connecting Barnhartvale and Dallas has developed over last decade, with hikers using either the Eliza Road trailhead or the Dallas Drive (lower) trailhead in an areas called the Dallas-Barnhartvale Nature Park. We have not had an accurate map up to now, although there have been paper copies available from time to time. In the last … Continue reading…
You can go out for a hike and bring your GPS and then come back home and download your track onto your computer. You can create an elevation plot, show your route, show your speed, and much more. Here is a plot from a recent off-trail exploration: In the top image, the blue line represents the route I took. The … Continue reading…
Hiking on the Gulf Islands has a long season – from March through November. We traveled to Cortes Island in the summer, paddling and hiking for a week. The island is too big to do in one week, so we contented ourselves with first doing the easy access routes. We were more than surprised to find that Kw'as Park by … Continue reading…
Salt Spring is the biggest of the Gulf Islands and we have not yet made the time to explore it fully enough. We enjoyed our paddling in Ganges Harbor and Long Harbor. We were impressed by the hiking and camping at Ruckle Park and we enjoyed the hikes on Mount Maxwell, but we have yet to do a dozen or … Continue reading…
Paddlers can base out of Montague Harbor or can launch from many sites on the island. Routes down to shoreline offer explorations. Two are featured here: Bellhouse Provincial Park is a small park near Sturdies Bay with a short trail but with interesting sandstone formations: Dionisio Provincial Park is accessible by boat only and paddlers will have to pay … Continue reading…
We were impressed by the hikes on Galiano Island. Good trails, excellent viewpoints, and a variety of terrain. Bodega Ridge Provincial Park Near mid-island, park at the end of Cottage Drive and start a gentle climb up Bodega Ridge. It is a 12 km return trip along the top of the ridge featuring sandstone formations, eagles and peregrine falcons, and … Continue reading…
We will continue to return to Galiano Island for a late winter retreat to hike and explore, and in summer to camp and paddle. Galiano is the first stop on the Southern Gulf Islands Ferry from Tswassen. Once the ferry is launched, you can be offloading at Sturdies Bay in an hour. We prefer to head inland down the … Continue reading…
In two previous posts, Mount Warburton Pike and East Point Park were featured. There are lots of opportunities to hike and paddle on Saturna and a few are noted here. Winter Cove Park This point of land is within the National Park Reserve. There are about 1.5km of hiking and some shoreline viewpoints. Winter Cove and the shores around Samuel … Continue reading…
Although the Mount Warburton Pike route is the premier hike on Saturna, there are several other hikes, walks, and bikes. One of our favorites is the hike/scramble around East Point Regional Park. The hike is only 1.5 km, but the sculpted shoreline and offshore islets make this a special place to explore: Nature’s artwork here is fascinating: A … Continue reading…
Much of Saturna Island is National Park or Protected Area. We have found the hiking and explorations here to be top-notch. Our favorite hike was the ridge walk along Mount Warburton Pike. We were able to drive to the top, then hike the open ridge south. The west slopes are open grasslands and bluffs with wide views in every … Continue reading…
